In recent years, more and more organizations have turned to multiple public cloud providers to run their business.
In some cases, this happens unintentionally because different teams prefer different platforms. Sometimes, this is the result of strategic decisions by organizations eager to gain multi-cloud competitive and economic advantage. These can include greater flexibility, lower costs, greater data monetization capabilities, and regulatory compliance.
However, the journey to multi-cloud adoption can be long and painful. Along the way, many businesses may face skyrocketing complexity and costs, not to mention security concerns. Unlocking the true potential of a multi-cloud approach—becoming “cloud-smart”—requires purpose and strategy. The struggle with multi-cloud complexity Multi-cloud challenges can catch business leaders off guard. The public cloud “looks really, really good on paper,” said William Brown, cloud and infrastructure architect at ice Norway.
“After the initial burst of excitement, there’s a phase of disillusionment where things don’t go as far as expected,” said Tom Eck, senior vice president and distinguished engineer at Fiserv.
According to Christoph Rode, senior vice president of cloud platforms at T-Systems (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG), multi-cloud adoption presents challenges on several fronts. “Even when you do cost containment, you realize that costs are spiraling,” he said. “I need to control costs. I need to control security, compliance, and I need help.”
These experiences are not unique. According to a recent VMware-commissioned Vanson Bourne survey of nearly 6,000 IT leaders, 70 percent said they were grappling with multicloud challenges. Few enterprises have reached the point where the strategic benefits of multi-cloud outweigh its complexity: 70 percent of companies have not reached an advanced stage in their multi-cloud adoption.
Organizations experiencing these challenges are missing out on key opportunities for multi-cloud revenue, profitability, and data monetization that can deliver competitive advantage. They also lose the benefits of multi-cloud data sovereignty and data security that keep customers and employees loyal. Advantages of “Cloud Intelligence” There are better ways to adopt multi-cloud. One in five organizations surveyed in the report could be considered “cloud smart,” or mature in their multicloud approach. They are taking a planned, strategic approach to digital transformation and multi-cloud implementation.
“To me, the security of the applications, the accessibility of the applications around the world, how those applications are used is the real start of cloud intelligence,” said Joe Van Ert, Systems Architect at Quality Bicycle Products.
- These are the key factors that separate cloud-smart organizations from those facing challenges with multi-cloud adoption:
- Application Innovation
Visibility and Cloud Spending Cloud Security Data Management Culture and Teams On the road to cloud adoption, it can adopt a cloud-intelligent way of thinking. Organizations that take this approach and leverage the right technology can reduce complexity and ease the challenges of dealing with multiple clouds. Leveraging the available cloud platforms enables businesses to maximize revenue and profitability, securely manage data across borders, and monetize data at their fingertips. Learn more about becoming a cloud-smart organization.
